Heero and Duo
by UsagiLovesDuochan
Summary: This is the story about a little girl who tries everything to save her two dogs from the worst. YAOI boyxboy love don't like, don't read! LAST CHAPTER POSTED
1. Heero and Duo 1

Well although I am kind of in lurkermood, I started this story, long,  
  
long ago and now I would like to share the first part with you guys.  
  
Hope you will like it although if this first part sounds very, strange  
  
and non GW. ^^ You'll will discover there is more soon.  
  
And notice: YAOI friends! This means boyxboy love!!! Don't like, don't read!  
  
For now, happy reading! *crawls back to not wanted homework*  
  
Title: Heero and Duo  
  
Part: 1/3  
  
Author: Usagi-chan [usagilikesduochan@hotmail.com]  
  
Warnings: Dog love, sap, bad language, angst, OC POV  
  
Pairings: HxD (means HeeroxDuo but you know the meaning why I wrote it  
  
not in numbers then you read ^^)  
  
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, I don't make money from fanfiction. I  
  
write only for fun and to get better at English. ^__^  
  
Description: Sets on after EW  
  
A little girl lives a happy, peaceful life with her grandma and her two  
  
dogs. But one day her whole happiness becomes destroyed and she has to  
  
fear about her true best friends. Will she save them from the worst and  
  
find a place for them where they can live in happiness?  
  
Uhm well, I know by first reading it doesn't sound much like GW but you  
  
will see it is. *g* I think it's the first part of a little arc (if you  
  
like to read more). The idea came to me because of my own great love to  
  
dogs and my wish to have an own one some time.  
  
Feedback: Hai, hai! Pleeeeeeease. ^____^  
  
Archive:  
  
-   
  
Anyone want it? Just ask me so I can give credit and you can have it. ^^  
  
And I mustn't forget, many thanks to Helen for helping with my  
  
translation from German to English.  
  
Dedicated to the dog I will meet somewhere in the future and who will  
  
win my heart with one look. His name will be Duo ^___^  
  
"..." = Speaking  
  
*...* = Thinking  
  
~...~ = Review  
  
*****************************************************************  
  
Throughout my whole live, ever since I can think, I knew the only thing  
  
I always wanted was a dog. I can barely remember that I used to take  
  
every stray home with me when I was very little. My parents were never  
  
very happy with this behaviour so I take them back to the streets.  
  
Grandma told me I always cried that I had to say goodbye to one of the  
  
sweet dogs I brought home. Pets were not allowed in the flat where we  
  
lived in.  
  
My parents. I can't remember them very well. They died when I was still  
  
very young. By the way, I am seven years old now. So I am still very  
  
young I guess. My parents died during the great war between earth and  
  
the space colonies. They were two of the many, many other war victims.  
  
I remember my mother had long blond hair and a sweet voice. My father  
  
had also blond hair but it was short and seemed to have its own life.  
  
That's everything I can remember. It isn't much so I'm not sad.  
  
After they died, I lived with grandma. It was a good life. She was  
  
always very kind to me and we had lots of fun. Although at the  
  
beginning I was too quiet. Grandma thought it was because of the death  
  
of my parents. I don't know if that was the reason; I can't remember.  
  
What I remember very clear was the day my quietness suddenly ended. The  
  
day of my fifth birthday because my greatest longing came true. My  
  
grandma gave me the present of two dogs.  
  
I found them in front of the door to my room. Two little cute puppies,  
  
one barking as soon as he noticed me, the other half asleep. I never  
  
felt so happy in my life before and I fell in love with them at the  
  
first sight.  
  
Grandma smiled warmly then I danced around the kitchen table. The  
  
barking one seemed to like this because it didn't take much time and he  
  
joined me dancing, still barking loudly. The other one padded under the  
  
kitchen table and laid down, looking a little grumpy at his companion.  
  
This was the first meeting of my two best friends.  
  
I named the dogs Heero and Duo. Strange names, I know, but I always  
  
liked the Gundam pilots and these two names were my favourite. The  
  
Gundam pilots. They were the reason why people judge me so wrong. In  
  
this town where I lived, many people didn't like them. They said it was  
  
their fault that we had this war. But I knew, if they didn't fight,  
  
earth and the colonies would be still at war and more innocent people,  
  
like my parents, would have died.  
  
Grandma thought the same. My problem though was, that I always had had  
  
a big mouth. If someone behaved a way I didn't like, I told him. That's  
  
why I often got into little fights with the other children in  
  
kindergarten. The parents hated the Gundam pilots and so did their  
  
children. And because I made it very clear that I didn't agree with  
  
them, they started to tease me till they end up with black eyes and  
  
bloody noses.  
  
Still there were some kids who dared to play with me. But I had no real  
  
friends, no one I would meet with at home, outside the kindergarten. My  
  
grandma was a little worried about this, but I didn't mind. But at  
  
least now I have two best friends - Heero and Duo.  
  
It was fun to grow up with the dogs. Grandma used to say that we three  
  
count for 20 children and dogs together. I believe it was true when it  
  
came to Duo and me. But not for Heero.  
  
Duo was a chestnut brown dog. He was also a half-breed, like Heero. And  
  
he was very wild but also friendly and attached to everyone. We soon  
  
became best friends and often cuddled the evenings in the living room,  
  
when grandma allowed me to watch a little TV before I had to go to bed.  
  
When he first lived at our house, he used to bark loudly at every noise  
  
he heard outside. Grandma and I tried to get rid of his behaviour. But,  
  
it didn't matter what we tried; nothing worked. Nothing till we  
  
discovered how much influence Heero had on Duo.  
  
Heero had a darker colour than Duo, more a chocolate brown. And he was  
  
the exact opposite of Duo. Where Duo was loud and wild, Heero was calm  
  
and always wearing a look of reproof on his face. Really, you have to  
  
see him when Duo is acting like a maniac again, running through the  
  
garden and trying to catch the cats from the neighbourhoods. You can  
  
only describe the look as one of reproof.  
  
He also wasn't as open like Duo was. At the first I feared that he  
  
didn't like me or Grandma because mostly he acted very distant. He  
  
didn't like to be cuddled and was very quiet and calm, never barking  
  
nor running around like Duo. He never greeted me at the door when I  
  
came home from the kindergarten. But soon I got used to his behaviour  
  
and I learned to understand his little hints he gave here and when then  
  
to show that he at least liked us.  
  
One of his hints was his obedience. He learned quickly to follow every  
  
command we gave him. And this was when we discovered the high influence  
  
he had on Duo. Duo saw how Heero followed immediately to 'sit! '  
  
and 'stay! ' and he wanted to be as good as Heero was. And soon we had  
  
two well trained dogs. The only thing we still couldn't change was  
  
Duo's barks to every noise.  
  
It was till I had this idea one day. It was meant as a joke and I  
  
didn't expect it to be taken seriously. When Duo barked again one  
  
evening, I asked Heero to make him quiet down. Heero, who liked to sit  
  
a close distance from my grandma, got up and went to Duo. Seconds later  
  
our loud one was quiet. Curious we looked for what had happened and  
  
found them cuddling in a corner. Since then, Grandma and I let Heero  
  
take care of Duo's noise problem.  
  
Speaking of the cuddling, I have to admit that Heero and Duo weren't  
  
brothers. They just grew up together and were very used to each other.  
  
My grandma didn't have the heart to tear them apart. So it was not  
  
brotherly love they felt for each other.  
  
First it was deep friendship, I think. But later grandma meant they  
  
acted much more intimate than two good friends. She said that it seemed  
  
they like each other like my mother and father had. I didn't understand  
  
that really. I can't remember how it was like my mother loved my  
  
father. But I sure knew that it seemed Heero and Duo wanted to marry  
  
each other, as soon as they are old enough. OK not exactly that way,  
  
because they were dogs. They can't marry, can they? But this was the  
  
way they liked each other as far as I knew.  
  
And I didn't mind when my grandma told me it was quite unusual for two  
  
male dogs to like each other. As long as they were still my friends I  
  
didn't care at all. Well, the opposite. As long as they were happy with  
  
it, I was happy too.  
  
And we were happy, really happy. Two years of having fun, playing after  
  
kindergarten in the park and coming home so dirty that Grandma had to  
  
first clean us outside the house with the water-hose.  
  
Life changed a little just after I turned seven. I went to school. This  
  
meant I would be home much earlier than during kindergarten, but I had  
  
to do my homework first and sometimes also work on little projects we  
  
did at school. Still I tried to share my school-life with Duo and Heero  
  
as much as I could. I showed them what we learned and my first tries  
  
for writing. I also drew a picture one time. A picture with my grandma,  
  
Duo, Heero and me. I think they liked it because their tails waved  
  
eagerly.  
  
I didn't know that drawing the picture was one of the last happy times  
  
I had before everything changed, changed forever and opened a nightmare  
  
of fear that a seven year old girl shouldn't have to bear. I had to  
  
fear about the lives of my best friends.  
  
Everything happened suddenly and unexpectedly. It was a school-day,  
  
normal as every other. I got up a little earlier because I wanted to be  
  
at school soon. We had a nice project in process at the moment and I  
  
was eager to continue my work. I tried to be as quiet as I could  
  
because Grandma didn't feel well the last two days and I didn't want to  
  
wake her up.  
  
"Good bye, sweethearts," I barely whispered at Heero and Duo, who used  
  
to accompany me to the front door every morning. Yes also Heero decided  
  
to show me a little more of his friendship ever since I went to school  
  
and it made me very happy.  
  
At school, everything was normal but, a very bad feeling also started.  
  
Something was wrong, very, very wrong and I couldn't tell what it was.  
  
I soon lost my enthusiasms at the school-project and all I wished was  
  
for school to end so I could go home again.  
  
After what seemed like eternity for me, the last lesson was done and I  
  
ran out of the classroom. I headed home as fast as I could. From far  
  
away I heard the loud barking. This wouldn't scare me if it were only  
  
one dog barking, because Duo usually barked when I came into sight of  
  
the house. But this time it was two dogs that were barking. Heero  
  
barked too and he never did this before. Something was very wrong.  
  
Fortunately I had a key for the house. Grandma gave it to me ever since  
  
I went to school.  
  
I opened the door and screamed for my family.  
  
"Grandma? Heero? Duo?"  
  
Duo came out of my grandma's bedroom looking like a maniac. I could  
  
hear Heero barking from inside the bedroom and also Duo even barked  
  
louder when he saw me. I stormed into Grandma's room and my little  
  
heart sank from the sight that I saw.  
  
Heero stood in front of Grandma's bed front paws on the bed. And he  
  
kept barking without stopping. On the bed laid my grandma, eyes closed,  
  
looking as if she was still sleeping. But I knew she never would be  
  
able to sleep when two dogs kept on barking that loud. I panicked.  
  
"Grandma! Grandma wake up!" I shouted and ran to the bed shaking her  
  
wildly, begging her to open her eyes while my first tears rolled down  
  
my face. I already knew it was useless. She would never open her eyes  
  
again. I ended breaking down on the bed, sobbing into Heero's soft fur.  
  
Duo came to me and rubbed his whole body at my side. They had stopped  
  
barking and just winced quietly. We grieved together and at the same  
  
time my two best friends tried to comfort me.  
  
***  
  
One of our neighbours found us hours later in Grandma's bedroom. I had  
  
forgotten to close the front door and Mr. and Mrs. Norris, who lived  
  
next to us, thought this was odd. They immediately called for an  
  
ambulance when they found us, but it was too late. The only thing which  
  
gave me comfort was what the doctor told the Norris'. He said that my  
  
grandma died peacefully in her sleep. She didn't feel anything.  
  
The Norris' were nice people. They tried to comfort me as best as they  
  
could and offered me and the dogs to stay with them till it was clear  
  
what would happen to me.  
  
But it was already clear that they couldn't keep me forever. Both of  
  
them worked and they didn't have enough money for a child, not to  
  
mention two dogs. They already had hard times saving their money to buy  
  
the house itself just a year ago.  
  
But at the moment, I had other things to worry about. The sudden loss  
  
of my grandma hurt me deep. She was the only person I ever had in my  
  
life. She was more my mother than my grandma. I never knew my parents  
  
nor did I meet other relatives, if they even existed in this world.  
  
And now I had lost the person I loved so much. With the death of my  
  
grandma, it seemed that a part of me had gone with her. Yes, it hurt  
  
that much; my heart ached. The only thing that gave me a little peace  
  
were my two best friends who never left my side - Heero and Duo. They  
  
were on my side every second, never leaving me alone as if they knew I  
  
would feel so sad that I would cry.  
  
These two dogs were everything I had now and they, in return, had my  
  
whole love. The three of us were family now, the only left. I knew as a  
  
full orphan without any relatives left, I would have some problems from  
  
now on but together, we would get over everything. I was sure about  
  
that. And this kept me going.  
  
***  
  
After the burial of my grandma, I fell asleep on the couch, exhausted  
  
when we reached Mr. and Mrs. Norris' house. And as always Heero and Duo  
  
stayed at my side next to the couch.  
  
I woke up again when I felt Duo nudging against my arm urgently. I felt  
  
so depressed and tired that I didn't want to open my eyes any time  
  
soon.  
  
And my mind, still foggy from sleep, needed a while till it became  
  
aware  
  
that there weren't only my dogs in the living-room. I heard the quiet  
  
voices of Mr. and Mrs. Norris and another deep male voice I didn't know.  
  
The first sentence I heard very clearly was spoken by Mrs. Norris and  
  
she sounded very desperate.  
  
"But is this really necessary? I mean, there is no other way? It will  
  
break her heart; she loves the dogs very, very much. It's everything  
  
that is left for the poor little girl now that her grandma is gone."  
  
Suddenly my heart began to race. They were talking about Heero and  
  
Duo! I heard the man sighing.  
  
"I am very sorry Mrs. Norris, but there is no other way. The girl has  
  
no relatives as far as we know. Her parents were both victims  
  
of the war and the husband of her grandmother died years ago. If you  
  
are  
  
not willing to adopt the girl, she has to go to an orphanage. And there  
  
are no dogs allowed."  
  
"We would love to adopt her," Mr. Norris said now with a sad  
  
voice, "but we don't have enough money to offer her a happy and good  
  
life. We  
  
bought this house with our last money. Then my wife lost her job and  
  
had  
  
to take a new one that isn't well paid. What we earn right now is  
  
barely enough for the two of us."  
  
"And also if we could sell our house; the money will only help for one  
  
or two years," Mrs. Norris added. "Not only that if we take the girl,  
  
we are  
  
still not able to take two dogs as well. It wouldn't help them at all."  
  
"Then it's decided," the man said in a tired voice. "A man from the  
  
orphanage will come tomorrow morning to take the girl. Later that same  
  
day someone from the pound will get the dogs. And don't worry, it will  
  
go quick. Just a little prick and the two will die peacefully in their  
  
sleep."  
  
That was it! At this moment all I wanted to do was scream like I always  
  
did when I had a nightmare and wanted to wake up. But my throat was  
  
tied and I couldn't even get out just a wince. Instead my hand, which  
  
had dived into Duo's fur, clawed together tightly.  
  
I barely noticed how Mrs. Norris, obviously shocked, pleaded for more  
  
time for me to accept all of this and say goodbye to my friends. But  
  
the man seemed to be a heartless bastard and only acting like he was  
  
sorry. He said something about: "... the rules of the government"  
  
and: "... can't do anything". Hearing this I dived my head deep into  
  
the pillows so no one could see my tears. I don't know what they would  
  
have done if anyone noticed I was awake and heard everything.  
  
I wished I could had screamed out why. Why do Heero and Duo have to  
  
die? But I knew the answer. Grandma told me this when she bought Heero  
  
and Duo. The pet orphanages in this region were full with homeless dogs  
  
and cats. Most of them lost their owners during the war and some ran  
  
away in panic when there were attacks. The funding for these kinds of  
  
orphanages were low and after war, the new government decided that  
  
every homeless pet should be killed if there wasn't enough place for  
  
them to hold.  
  
I felt deep sympathy for the poor pets during that time. But I never  
  
thought, not even in my worst nightmares, that I would ever have to  
  
fear about my two best friends because of this problem. But now I had.  
  
And it was just as horrible as losing Grandma.  
  
***  
  
That night I couldn't sleep. The man had gone. I acted like I just woke  
  
up and immediately ran to the guestroom where the Norris' asked me to  
  
stay in. I think they didn't suspect anything. I mean I was still sad  
  
because of Grandma's death so it was only natural for me to look  
  
exhausted, sad and also start to cry every minute.  
  
Heero and Duo followed me into the room and like always since Grandma  
  
died, they tried to comfort me as best as they could. But how can I  
  
smile again when every time I look at my friends I remember that they  
  
had to die the next day?  
  
I lie awake till midnight. Then I couldn't stand it anymore. I made my  
  
decision. I would run away and take Duo and Heero with me. I knew that  
  
I was too young to hide forever in this little town but, I hoped I  
  
would get enough time to search for a new owner for my best friends. If  
  
I could find someone who would keep them both, they would be safe. I  
  
didn't matter to me if I had to say goodbye forever to them as long as  
  
I knew they would live. Well, at least at that moment, I thought it  
  
wouldn't matter to me.  
  
I waited till Mr. and Mrs. Norris went to bed. And I still waited  
  
another full hour to be sure that they were asleep. Then I started to  
  
silently pack some things in the little bag I took with me then I moved  
  
to the Norris'. I didn't need much. Most of what I needed was food for  
  
myself and for Heero and Duo. The only other thing I took with me was a  
  
pair of fresh clothes. That was everything I needed and it was time for  
  
me to leave.  
  
Heero and Duo followed every movement as silently as I did. It was as  
  
if they knew what was going on. Well I was sure they knew; they were  
  
much more intelligent than some people I met in my short life.  
  
We left the Norris house through the door, silently. Then we were  
  
outside and my first impulse was to go to Grandma's house and sleep a  
  
little longer. But I was sure as soon as the Norris' discovered that my  
  
friends and me were missing, the first place the police would look for  
  
me would be my past home. I didn't want to risk it before I found  
  
someone who would keep Duo and Heero safe for me.  
  
So I started to walk along the street into town. Heero and Duo followed  
  
just a little behind me, quietly. I didn't know where to go, where to  
  
search for new owners. And after all it was not long after midnight and  
  
this meant there weren't much people outside anyway. But still, I  
  
couldn't risk being found before I knew my dogs were safe. So all I  
  
could do was walk and never appear in the same place twice, never let  
  
anyone see me for too long.  
  
I didn't know how long I was walking but at last, I reached the nearby  
  
town. At this point I started to become a little scared. In the darker  
  
streets, there were people who didn't look very nice. They stared at me  
  
with strange and dangerous eyes. But then I discovered that there was  
  
no need for me to be afraid, because nobody dared to come near me as  
  
long as Heero and Duo were by my side. They growled menacingly at every  
  
person who came too near to me and the person backed away, not eager  
  
enough to try and pick a fight with two very protective dogs.  
  
So I continued walking around till I felt I couldn't go on anymore,  
  
because of too little sleep and too much exhaustion. If I had been  
  
alone, I would have fainted in the middle of the street. But I had my  
  
friends by my side. When I stumbled for the first time, Heero was there  
  
to steady and help me walk. I looked around, trying to find out where  
  
we were.  
  
To my greatest joy, the street was very familiar to me. It led to a big  
  
park. I often visited this park together with my grandma and sometimes  
  
alone with Heero and Duo for a little walk and a little playtime. My  
  
dogs seemed to recognize the park as the place of happiness as well  
  
because they started to lead me to it.  
  
But we needed a lot of time to reach the familiar place, because I was  
  
so exhausted and almost couldn't go anymore. The park was dark, just a  
  
few little street lamps lighting the way. We followed the path to one  
  
of the little lakes the park had. There we left the path and went into  
  
the bushes. I let my friends stop at the first best hiding spot between  
  
the bushes that I could find and collapsed to the ground. I can't  
  
remember anything after that because I was asleep before I reached the  
  
ground.  
  
TBC...  
  
*UsagiLOVESDuo-chan /'^^'\ 


	2. Heero and Duo 2

Tadaaaaaaaaaaa! I am back with the second part! ^_____^ Enjoy people,  
  
enjoy! ^^  
  
Title: Heero and Duo  
  
Part: 2/3  
  
Author: Usagi-chan [usagilikesduochan@hotmail.com]  
  
Warnings: Dog love, sap, bad language, angst, OC, POV  
  
Pairings: HxD (means HeeroxDuo but you'll know the reason why I didn't  
  
write it in numbers when you read ^^)  
  
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine; I don't make money from fan fiction. I  
  
write only for fun and to get better at English. ^__^  
  
Description: Set after EW  
  
A little girl lives a happy, peaceful life with her Grandma and her two  
  
dogs. But one day her whole happiness becomes destroyed and she has to  
  
fear for her true best friends. Will she save them from the worst and  
  
find a place for them where they can live in happiness?  
  
Uhm well, I know by first reading it doesn't sound much like GW but you  
  
will see it is. *g* I think it's the first part of a little arc (if  
  
you'd like to read more). The idea came to me because of my own great  
  
love of dogs and my wish to have my own one some time.  
  
Feedback: Hai, hai! Pleeeeeeease. ^____^  
  
Archive:  
  
-   
  
-   
  
- ?  
  
Anyone want it? Just ask me so I can give credit and you can have it. ^^  
  
And I mustn't forget, many thanks to Sharon and Deb for helping Helen  
  
out while she was busy with rl problems and help me with my translation  
  
from German to English.  
  
Dedicated to the dog I will meet somewhere in the future and who will  
  
win my heart with one look. His name will be Duo ^___^  
  
"..." = Speaking  
  
*...* = Thinking  
  
~...~ = Review  
  
*****************************************************************  
  
The first thing I noticed when I woke up; was that it was the next  
  
morning, and that the birds were singing. The second thing I noticed  
  
was the warmth and heaviness on my body. And I heard a light whimpering  
  
just in front of me.  
  
This was something I recognized immediately. It was Duo. I opened my  
  
eyes slowly. At first everything was spinning, but soon it was gone and  
  
I was able to see clearly again. It had to be just morning, because  
  
there wasn't much sunlight now. And somehow it didn't surprise me to  
  
find Heero and Duo lying directly over my body for keeping me warm.  
  
Heero had his eyes closed and looked a little grumpy. I suspected it  
  
was because of Duo's whimpering. Duo himself had a look on his face as  
  
if he was just dying. I knew this look. He was so good at it. He just  
  
wanted to tell me that he was hungry.  
  
To see Duo this way and to know Heero cared for me and kept me healthy;  
  
was something that made me really happy.  
  
And for the first time since grandma's death, I was smiling again. I  
  
also chuckled a bit.  
  
"Oh Duo, hungry as always, aren't we? Well let me get up and I can get  
  
you something."  
  
My dog-friend was so quick in sitting by my right side; that I hadn't  
  
time to blink. Heero got up from me a little more slowly and he gave me  
  
a caring, watchful look. I smiled.  
  
"Morning Heero! Thank you so much for keeping me warm. And you too,  
  
Duo!"  
  
I sat up now, and in that exact same moment, I heard laughter not so  
  
far away. And as soon as I stood, I saw them for the first time!  
  
Two teenage boys near the lake where we had stayed last night.  
  
They didn't notice us because they were too far away and the bushes  
  
were good to hide in and spy. For a moment I forgot that I wanted to  
  
give my dogs food as I watched how one of the boys dragged his friend  
  
nearer to the lake, all the while talking and laughing.  
  
I was sure that this was the one I heard laugh. His companion seemed to  
  
protest half hearted against the dragging. He didn't talk as much as  
  
his friend, just listening patiently. And only sometimes he smiled at a  
  
comment the other boy made. I wondered what words they were that had  
  
gotten the silent boy smiling, but I was too far away to understand.  
  
They seemed to be good friends or maybe even brothers, although they  
  
didn't look similar. If the tank top, the talking boy was wearing  
  
hadn't proved it so obviously, I would have thought that he could have  
  
been the girlfriend of the calm boy, because from so far away he really  
  
looked like a girl with his long hair. I'd never seen a boy before who  
  
had such long hair like this one. It had to be as long as my own.  
  
While I watched these two, I felt sadness and hope slowly growing deep  
  
within me. Maybe these two were what I had been searching for. Maybe  
  
they could keep my best friends and save them. If only...  
  
Suddenly the longhaired boy turned around to face his friend while  
  
saying something and now I saw that he was holding something in his  
  
hand. I think I smiled evilly. It was then that an idea came into my  
  
head. This would prove if they liked dogs.  
  
And the feeling of Duo nuzzling against my body again and again because  
  
he had become impatient, proofed that I wouldn't have problems to  
  
convince him for what I had in mind.  
  
I smiled and stroked his head.  
  
"Look, Duo!" I pointed out to the longhaired boy with the sandwich in  
  
his hand. "What's this? Does that look good? Does it look nice?"  
  
I didn't need to think of any more to say because as soon as Duo  
  
spotted the boy with food, his tail started to wave eagerly and with  
  
just one loud yelp he stormed out of the bushes to the boys.  
  
I felt a little pity while I watched Duo accepting his mission. The  
  
longhaired boy never realized what had hit him. One second he stood by  
  
the side of the other boy, the next second he was lying on the ground  
  
and his sandwich was gone, thanks to my dog.  
  
The quieter boy watched Duo for a few seconds, a little surprised and  
  
my dog stared back, the food uneaten in his jaw. To my surprise, the  
  
shorthaired boy suddenly started to snicker and then laughed.  
  
Duo seemed to like this, because his tail waved eagerly while he  
  
watched his victim getting up again swearing about 'hungry dogs'  
  
and 'NOT funny'. He sent his still snickering companion a glare before  
  
he laid his attention on Duo.  
  
For a second my heart stopped beating while the two looked at each  
  
other. Then a smirk came to the face of the boy. He yelled something  
  
and suddenly started to run after Duo. My dog of course run away  
  
immediately but he obviously enjoyed the new game with the stranger boy.  
  
I decided to come out of my hiding sport and sat down in the grass  
  
beside a big tree. Heero lay down beside me, seemingly bored by Duo's  
  
actions. But I knew him better. His sharp eyes never left Duo for a  
  
second.  
  
I watched the boy chasing after Duo with excitement. The sandwich  
  
seemed long forgotten. But all the time, although I didn't look, I felt  
  
the burning eyes of the other boy on me. He watched me carefully until  
  
he decided he had enough of standing alone in the middle of the park  
  
while his companion chased after a dog, watched by a child and another  
  
dog.  
  
But I didn't notice this not before his voice spoke to me from beside  
  
me. "Your dogs?"  
  
I shrieked and turned to him. He had blue eyes and a serious looking  
  
face. He looked so matured already, although he couldn't have been that  
  
old.  
  
"Yes, they are mine." I answered him. "He's your friend?"  
  
I pointed out to the playing couple of boy and dog. The boy beside me  
  
nodded. I wanted to ask a little more, but just at that moment, Heero  
  
yawned and suddenly stood up. It seemed he had enough and started to be  
  
hungry. He gave a short bark. Duo immediately stopped his game with the  
  
boy and run back to us.  
  
As he arrived, he laid the poor, flattened sandwich to the ground and  
  
looked invitingly at Heero. My other dog gave a short growl while  
  
eyeing the sandwich. He had very good manners and didn't dare to touch  
  
anything which he knew didn't belong to him or Duo originally.  
  
At this moment, the other boy arrived and let him self fall to the  
  
ground, totally out of breath. I nodded at Heero.  
  
"You can eat this, buddy." I encouraged Heero, "I don't think the boy  
  
wants his sandwich back now."  
  
I couldn't resist a little grin, while Duo and Heero shared the  
  
sandwich with each other. It was such a sweet view, maybe like a kind  
  
of candle like dinner for dogs without candles. By the time I could  
  
tore my looks away from my two friends, the boy who chased after Duo  
  
had come to breath again and I remembered the pay he had done for my  
  
little experiment.  
  
"So, this is your dog?" he now asked as his companion had asked me  
  
before. I nodded and dived in my backpack. "Here." I got out one of my  
  
own sandwiches and offered it to him. "For your sandwich that you lost  
  
to my dog."  
  
The boy blinked and then he refused to accept. "Na, it's ok you don't  
  
have to share your food with me." He said smiling. "I can buy a new  
  
one."  
  
"But I am not hungry and it's really ok." I replied and put the  
  
sandwich into his hand. He gave up resisting and smiled wide at me.  
  
"Thanks." he said and started to eat. The other boy watched him and  
  
shook his head in disbelief. Still, I could see there was some  
  
amusement sparkling in his eyes.  
  
"You want one too?" I asked him and offered another sandwich. But he  
  
resisted and I couldn't change his mind. So I took a bite for myself  
  
although I wasn't really hungry. After a few small bites I gave up  
  
forcing myself to eat and put the sandwich back into my backpack.  
  
"Do you two like dogs?" I asked them now. "I mean you don't seem to be  
  
angry about his actions." I pat Duo's head. "And you also played with  
  
him."  
  
I smiled at the boy I gave my sandwich to and he grinned. "I love dogs.  
  
I was thinking of having my own someday but until now we have had other  
  
problems to deal with. There was no time to think about a dog, and I  
  
haven't had time to ask my friend if he wants to keep one too."  
  
He smiled at the other boy.  
  
"So, you two are friends?" I smiled.  
  
"Kind of." the longhaired boy answered, smiling at his friend. This one  
  
smiled back. And I now had the time to take a clear look at the other  
  
boy. He had long hair and sparkling amethyst eyes. He looked happy and  
  
full of life but not as mature as his friend. But still there was  
  
something about this face that told me there was more behind him, than  
  
just a smiling, laughing youth.  
  
"Well, if you wanted to have a dog, would you take one, if you found  
  
one on the street?" I asked them next. "I mean homeless dogs are  
  
nothing new in this world. And you know what happens to every dog and  
  
all the other pets who come into the already overflowing animal homes?"  
  
The longhaired boy nodded looking dark.  
  
"They kill them and I hate just the idea of it. This is no solution at  
  
all. And it's unfair against the pets. Never would I send an animal I  
  
found to its death. It's something I couldn't deal with in my mind."  
  
I smiled sadly at him. Although, I was feeling relieved, because this  
  
meant he was thinking the same way as I was. I wanted to say something  
  
more, but at this moment my view drifted towards the path by the lake,  
  
and what I saw caused me to be wary. There was a policeman walking  
  
along, looking to his left and right slowly, but thanks to the quiet  
  
boy still standing at my side, the policeman hadn't seen me yet.  
  
This was bad. I feared he was looking for me and if so, I didn't want  
  
him to find me. I couldn't risk staying here any longer. But these two  
  
boys, I already liked them a lot. Duo did too, obviously, because after  
  
he finished his meal all he did was walk back and forth between the two  
  
boys, begging them to stroke his head and scratch his ears. And both  
  
boys did as they were asked.  
  
The best thing though, was that Heero seemed to accept them. He didn't  
  
growl at them like he sometimes did at other strangers. This was such a  
  
good sign. What the boy had said about wanting to have his own dog and  
  
never ever sending an animal to its death, it just sounded like the one  
  
and only chance I would ever have.  
  
My heart sank by what I decided next, but I had to do it - and quick. I  
  
dug through my backpack again, searching feverishly for their leashes.  
  
When I found them, I connected each dog to its leash and gave them a  
  
big hug. The boys watched my actions with surprise while my best  
  
friends started to suspect something. They became restless and Duo  
  
began to whine.  
  
It hurt to see them like this and it was difficult for me to hold back  
  
my tears and I tried to stay calm and strong as I put my backpack on  
  
again and turned to the boys.  
  
"Please, I beg you!" I pleaded with loud desperate voice. "One of you  
  
just said you wouldn't send an animal to its death if you found one. So  
  
I beg you with my whole heart, keep my two best friends, because I am  
  
not able to do so anymore, as much as I would wish otherwise. Keep them  
  
and take good care of them, they are the best and most previous friends  
  
I ever had."  
  
I wound one leash around the longhaired boy's hand and the other around  
  
the other boy's. They were much too surprised to react. I myself told  
  
Duo and Heero to sit in a sharp voice. Then I turn around and run for  
  
my life, without looking back again. As I ran, my tears fell like a  
  
waterfall. I had just left behind the last two lives, which were so  
  
important in my life.  
  
***  
  
Although I was sure that my friends were safe now and there wasn't any  
  
reason to hide anymore, I didn't want to go back to the Norris' now. I  
  
was tired, sad and all I wanted was to be alone to grieve about the  
  
lost friends. Still I went back to where the Norris' lived. Because  
  
grandma's house was right next-door to theirs.  
  
When I arrived I couldn't find any police near the house. But I still  
  
kept alert. I had a key for the house, so I used it to sneak into my  
  
own home. I was tired, so tired. My back hurt and my heart was aching.  
  
But I didn't dare sleep in my normal room. I feared that I could be  
  
found. Instead I went into the living room. Under the big table, which  
  
was standing there, was an entrance to a secret room. I opened the door  
  
made of the same wood as the floor, and climbed downstairs.  
  
The room was built into the house because of the war. It was a very  
  
safe place, which would stand most type of attacks. I was sure that the  
  
police wouldn't find me here if they searched for me in the house. In  
  
here was a bed, a small table and a fridge. I was sure the fridge was  
  
empty. Since the war ended we hadn't used it anymore. But I wasn't sad  
  
about this fact, because I didn't feel hungry. Instead I collapsed onto  
  
the bed and closed my eyes, hopefully to sleep.  
  
But I couldn't sleep. Not yet. To unfamiliar was the feeling of no dogs  
  
beside me. No Duo snuggling near Heero and licking my hand. No Heero  
  
growling because Duo wouldn't stop waving his tail with happiness about  
  
the fact that he was lying next to us. I missed them. I missed them so  
  
much, and with grandma gone too, I felt so lonely. And my eyes burned  
  
with uncried tears.  
  
I didn't know how long I lay awake, but finally I fell asleep. I have  
  
no idea how long I slept. But it was obviously very long, because then  
  
I woke up again my stomach already hurt because I hadn't eaten anything  
  
for a long time. Hungry, I searched in my backpack for the last  
  
sandwich I had and ate it, although not very enthusiastically.  
  
After I had finished, I slowly took a peek out of the entrance of the  
  
secret room, to see what time it was. I noticed that night had come  
  
again, so I seemed to have slept the whole day. I decided that I  
  
would stay just this one last night here and leave my home the next  
  
day. Still exhausted within my body and soul I fell asleep again soon  
  
after.  
  
***  
  
The next day I left the house forever; and I knew I would never see  
  
again, the rooms that I had played in with grandma, Heero and Duo. This  
  
time I wandered around without paying attention, and if the police  
  
finally caught me, should they, it didn't matter anymore.  
  
I was empty. I felt like a puppet without feelings, wandering around  
  
with no goal and no reason to live and somehow I ended up back at the  
  
park. I lay down on the grass by the bushes where Heero, Duo and I had  
  
hidden the day before. It ached even more now, because here I was back  
  
at this place again and I wanted to cry.  
  
I sat there staring at the grass with empty eyes - until I noticed a  
  
bark I knew very well. I was confused, thought I had started to lose my  
  
mind and that I was imagining things. But that imagination suddenly  
  
felt very warm and pinned me to the ground, while a very wet tongue  
  
licked over my face. My eyes, even though they were blurred with tears,  
  
recognized chestnut-brown fur and an eagerly waving tail. DUO!  
  
Seconds later Heero joined his mate. It was the first time he had been  
  
just as enthusiastically as Duo, waving his tail and licking my hands  
  
and face. Forgotten was the fact that I had wanted to cry again as I  
  
touched the precious dogs, stroked their soft coats, burying my head  
  
for sometime into Heero then Duo's fur crying my soul out.  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry!" I repeated over and over  
  
again, while my tears fell upon the fur of my dogs.  
  
"You forgot, to tell us the names of your precious friends." a soft,  
  
warm voice suddenly said above my head. I looked up to notice the two  
  
boys from the day before. They didn't look angry. Just friendly and a  
  
little concerned.  
  
"We had a little problem calling them." the longhaired boy continued  
  
and smiled encouragingly. "And these two seemed to miss you very much.  
  
It wasn't very nice to leave with only a short and sudden 'goodbye'."  
  
"I am sorry." I murmured again but this time to the two boys. "But... I  
  
had no choice. You two were so nice to us. This may have been my only  
  
chance to save their lives. I had to make a quick decision."  
  
"Because of the police officer?" the shorthaired boy questioned, in a  
  
calm voice. "Did you run away?"  
  
They both watched me very carefully, then I sighed and dove my head  
  
frustrated between Duo and Heero. I could feel their soft fur touching  
  
my cheeks.  
  
"Kind of." I admitted. "I am an orphan. My grandma died just one week  
  
ago, and a man from the government said that I'd have to go to an  
  
orphanage where no pets are allowed. And because there was no one who  
  
could keep my two dear friends, they would have... have to... I can't  
  
let them die!"  
  
"So you searched for a new owner the whole week?" the longhaired boy  
  
asked impressed. I shook my head.  
  
"Just for one night and a day. I walked all night long to get to the  
  
town and fell asleep in the park, then, when I woke up I saw you. And  
  
you two looked so... happy, nice, friendly, it was my first real hope  
  
since I have had a whole week of misery. That's why I asked this one,"  
  
I padded Duo's head with a little smile. "to take your sandwich, to see  
  
if you liked dogs or if you would be angry at him."  
  
"So, that's why I had to loose my sandwich?" the boy said and acted  
  
like he was deeply hurt. I couldn't help but smile. He was so nice.  
  
They both were, he with his smiling, cheering nature and his  
  
shorthaired friend with his friendly, silence and caring look.  
  
"Well you still haven't told us the names of your dogs." the longhaired  
  
boy suddenly said again. I looked a little guilty. But I gave my answer  
  
in a very careful tone. I knew the names may not so unknown to them.  
  
"Ah well these two are called 'Heero' and 'Duo'."  
  
Their eyes grew wide with surprise.  
  
"D... Duo, and Hee... ro?" the longhaired boy stuttered  
  
shocked. "Aren't this names a little... uhm unusual?"  
  
I watched them clearly to see if there was any sign of disguise, but I  
  
only found puzzlement.  
  
"Yes, these names are the names of two Gundam pilots." I explained. My  
  
voice came across a little harsher than I had planned, but I wanted to  
  
protect what I liked. "And yes, I like the Gundam pilots very much. If  
  
you too think they are the reason of the war or something like that,  
  
then you know nothing. I lost my parents in the war, but I never blamed  
  
the Gundam pilots for this. I know they just fought to end this damn  
  
war and protect what was left of the humans. So many people say without  
  
the Gundams were would not have been such a war. But I am sure, if the  
  
boys hadn't been there, we still would know sorrow under the war  
  
between the colonies and earth."  
  
I took a deep breath. I had made myself a little furious, but after  
  
all, every time someone learned that I liked the Gundam pilots, they  
  
looked at me with pity or in a disgusted way. I didn't like their  
  
thinking at all.  
  
But these two boys seemed different. They did not look like they agreed  
  
with me yet, also it was not as if they didn't. It was just confusing.  
  
And the longhaired boy indeed told me exactly this.  
  
"Well, it's not that we don't like them, but... I never thought about  
  
this in such a way. You are a very strange girl. I mean... you can't  
  
even clearly remember the war, can you? And to say this..."  
  
"Grandma told me many things." I answered smiling. "And I also remember  
  
the day when they showed one of these pilots on TV. I can't really  
  
remember what he looked like, but I felt so sorry for him being caught,  
  
and I was so happy when grandma told me that he had been freed. Then  
  
the war ended and everyone in this town said so many bad things about  
  
the pilots and I got very, very angry. In kindergarten I often started  
  
fights, because the boys never shut up calling me an idiot for liking  
  
the Gundam pilots."  
  
I sighed and shook my head.  
  
"And so I decided to give these two dogs the two favorite names from  
  
the pilots. And since then they have been called 'Heero' and 'Duo'."  
  
The longhaired boy nodded in understanding. The shorthaired boy looked  
  
thoughtful. It took him a while before he could get me out of his  
  
thoughts and he addressed me with a question, which I thought was very  
  
strange.  
  
"If you called them 'Heero' and 'Duo' in remembrance of the Gundam  
  
pilots, then let me guess... this wild one is Duo?"  
  
The longhaired boy suddenly looked at his friend with a mixture of  
  
surprise, amusement and a little pouting act.  
  
"Well if you think the wild one is 'Duo'!" he declared. "Then it's also  
  
not that difficult to see that this quiet one is Heero in every way."  
  
I still didn't understand what this all meant, but the look on the  
  
longhaired boys face caused me to snicker.  
  
"Yes, you are right, the chestnut brown one is Duo and the chocolate  
  
brown is Heero." I told them a little surprised. "But how did you  
  
know....?" I was interrupted when a man suddenly showed up behind the  
  
shorthaired boy. He stared at me with intensive eyes before he asked  
  
with a harsh voice.  
  
"'Jeanie Silver', right?"  
  
I was too shocked and surprised to even try and move to escape. My look  
  
seemed to give him answer enough, because he continued coldly.  
  
"Well you are coming with me now. You gave many of us one hell of a  
  
headache, and your orphanage is waiting for you to arrive."  
  
He set up a fake smile and Heero started to growl. Duo followed his  
  
actions nearly immediately and his fur stood on end as he started to  
  
bark a warning. The man took a step back before he decided otherwise.  
  
"Well, well you don't want to miss meeting your new mother." he started  
  
in a very slimy way. The two boys had watched silently, but now the  
  
longhaired wrenched his nose in disgust. The man didn't see it and  
  
continued.  
  
"And you will have so many new friends in your new home. Many, many  
  
brothers and sisters."  
  
"I have no brothers and sisters, I am an only child." I told him matter-  
  
of-factly. What I hated the most was when people acted as though I were  
  
dumb. I certainly was not, I can tell you this. Although I was only  
  
seven, it didn't mean I didn't know anything.  
  
"And you don't have to say such dumb things, I will come with you  
  
anyway, don't worry. As if I would have a choice."  
  
I shook my head in sorrow and stroked Heero and Duo to calm them down.  
  
This brought the man's attention fully back to my dogs.  
  
"Ah the dogs, I nearly forgot. I fear they can't come with us," he  
  
explained and tried to act sorry. "But don't worry, I will bring them  
  
to a really wonderful place. They won't suffer, I'll promise you that."  
  
Suddenly, before I could say a word, the shorthaired boy was between  
  
the man and my dogs.  
  
"Yes, they won't suffer, because my friend and I will make sure of  
  
that." he said coldly. "These dogs won't go anywhere, because they are  
  
staying with us. These are our dogs now."  
  
The man wanted to protest, but the boy glared so dangerously at him,  
  
that he didn't dare protest. Instead he took my hand in a hard grip and  
  
pulled me away with a growl "Fine, not my problem." Heero and Duo tried  
  
to follow but the boys had them on their leashes already. But still the  
  
longhaired boy stopped us.  
  
"Wait, where will you bring the girl?" he asked. "Which orphanage will  
  
it be?"  
  
"Why do you want to know?" the man asked back.  
  
"Because her dogs will certainly want to visit her now and then." the  
  
shorthaired boy explained calmly. I thought my heart would stop at that  
  
very moment. Did they really plan to visit me with my friends? Did this  
  
mean that I wouldn't really lose them?  
  
"Promise?" I asked hopefully, looking at the boys with wide, glowing  
  
eyes.  
  
"Promise!" the longhaired boy replied smiling. The man just grunted,  
  
but answered quickly after he got another glare from the boy with the  
  
chocolate brown hair.  
  
"Well she will come to 'St. Chaterien's orphanage of lost children', "  
  
he said and then pulled me away again. I took one last look towards the  
  
four living beings standing there, watching me leave with this man. But  
  
I had to keep going forward because the man was so forceful he nearly  
  
caused me to lose my balance, and I almost fell to the ground. The last  
  
thing I heard as I was dragged away was the echoed, mournful howls from  
  
two of the best friends that I had ever had in my seven short years of  
  
life. It was the farewell howls of Heero and Duo.  
  
TBC...  
  
*UsagiLOVESDuo-chan /'^^'\ 


	3. Heero and Duo 3

Title: Heero and Duo  
  
Part: 3/3  
  
Author: Usagi-chan [usagilikesduochan@hotmail.com]  
  
Warnings: Dog love, sap, bad language, angst, OC, POV  
  
Pairings: 1+2, HxD (means HeeroxDuo but you'll know the reason why I  
  
didn't write it in numbers when you read ^^)  
  
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine; I don't make money from fan fiction. I  
  
write only for fun and to get better at English. ^__^  
  
Description: Set after EW  
  
A little girl lives a happy, peaceful life with her grandma and her two  
  
dogs. But one day her whole happiness becomes destroyed and she has to  
  
fear for her true best friends. Will she save them from the worst and  
  
find a place for them where they can live in happiness?  
  
Uhm well, I know by first reading it doesn't sound much like GW but you  
  
will see it is. *g* I think it's the first part of a little arc (if  
  
you'd like to read more). The idea came to me because of my own great  
  
love of dogs and my wish to have my own one some time.  
  
Feedback: Hai, hai! Pleeeeeeease. ^____^  
  
Archive:  
  
-   
  
-   
  
Anyone want it? Just ask me so I can give credit and you can have it. ^^  
  
And I mustn't forget, many thanks to Ryouga-nee-chan for helping with  
  
my translation from German to English.  
  
Dedicated to the dog I will meet somewhere in the future and who will  
  
win my heart with one look. His name will be Duo ^___^  
  
"..." = Speaking  
  
*...* = Thinking  
  
~...~ = Review  
  
*****************************************************************  
  
The orphanage I was sent to wasn't the greatest of places. In fact it  
  
was the worse place I ever experienced. And this wasn't because there  
  
were so many children. I didn't mind being around so many children.  
  
Most of them were quite nice, but all afraid, shy and quiet. It was  
  
because of the housemother. I already knew she didn't like children  
  
when I first saw her.  
  
Then I arrived. She looked at me with an angry face.  
  
"So you are the nasty run-away, are you?" she growled. "The people from  
  
the government have already given me a lot of information about your  
  
former life. You were spoiled with your two little dogs, thought if you  
  
ran away with the pack you could keep them and live happily ever after  
  
huh? Well, serves you right that you three were torn apart. Life isn't  
  
that easy, you need to learn this lesson."  
  
Yes indeed, she didn't like me, but I can honestly say that it was  
  
mutual. I glared at her with angry, burning eyes.  
  
"There is a difference between separate and kill!" I shouted angrily  
  
and everyone around us held their breath. "If I hadn't found new owners  
  
for my friends they would have been dead by now. I would *NEVER* let  
  
anyone kill my friends if I can prevent it!"  
  
The woman massaged her head and growled.  
  
"Oh great! A rebellious one. And this isn't the worse problem of yours  
  
that you have just showed us either. I know that, *girl*!" she spat out  
  
and glared at me. "You are a crazy fan of the Gundam pilots! How can  
  
anyone be such an idiot?"  
  
That was too much. I was smoking with anger. I shouted at her as loud  
  
as I could. I called her an ignorant, idiotic woman who never even  
  
tried to understand the feelings of others, especially the feelings of  
  
a child. I called her as many bad words as I could imagine. I was  
  
blinded with my anger.  
  
To say bad things about my precious friends was bad enough, but to also  
  
make jokes about the boys, who brought us peace, was way too much even  
  
for me. I had never liked it, then when someone spoke ill of the  
  
Gundam pilots it made me really angry, if the person made fun of me,  
  
then I would tell them what I thought.  
  
Everyone around me was shocked with my actions. But I also saw that  
  
some of the children were impressed, maybe because they thought I had  
  
courage.  
  
Anyway, the housemother of course couldn't let this end like that. She  
  
was even more angry now and glared at me with cold eyes.  
  
"Seems that someone doesn't feel like eating today." she hissed. "Well,  
  
young lady, I can arrange that. I will teach you to obey your new  
  
housemother and treat her nicely. Lina!"  
  
A girl, who looked a little older than me, came out from the crowd of  
  
children.  
  
"Yes ma'am?" she asked with a shy quiet voice.  
  
"Show this trash her new room and make sure she stay's there the entire  
  
day and night!" the woman barked and Lina started to shake slightly.  
  
"Come, it's better to go," the girl whispered to me and took my hand  
  
carefully. I couldn't tear my gaze away from this bad tempered woman's  
  
face. I was still burning but let the girl lead me out of the room.  
  
The last thing I heard as I left was the man who had caught me asking  
  
the housemother if she was sure this was the right way to treat me. She  
  
just barked a few words about *Her way to handle the kids* and he  
  
should be silent if he wanted to see any money for catching me.  
  
Well, to say the place was the worst was the understatement of the year.  
  
***  
  
Three days had passed since I arrived at the orphanage. The days were  
  
monotonous and not a very nice experience. I got very little to eat  
  
because I was too proud and too angry with this woman to obey her. To  
  
make it worse she made fun of everything she knew about me.  
  
All dogs were trash, especially my ones, she often said. My grandma  
  
spoiled me, was her reason for my behavior and it was the Gundam pilots  
  
who caused the war, she stated coldly too. They were mean boys with  
  
very bad tempers.  
  
I couldn't take any of her words in silence, although I soon discovered  
  
that she wanted to provoke me. And so I got more punishment in these  
  
three days than a day had hours.  
  
The other children left me alone. It wasn't that they didn't like me or  
  
anything like that; in fact it was quite the opposite. Most of them  
  
sent me encouraging and admiring glances. But they were afraid of  
  
punishment from the housemother for trying to befriend me. Their lives  
  
were already bad enough, so I could understand that they didn't want to  
  
add anymore to it.  
  
The whole existence here was cold. The rooms had not a single color,  
  
the playthings were nearly nothing, and the outside was only a small,  
  
grassed area on the backyard and a stone yard on the front. Not a place  
  
for children to live at.  
  
And the housemother made very sure that any fun we had here stayed  
  
minimal. There were no outings to parks, no shopping days, no TV, no  
  
children's books.... nothing... just nothing. Yes, this place was a  
  
simple hell for children. In addition all this caused me to have bad  
  
dreams about Grandma, Heero and Duo, standing far away from me and  
  
regardless of how fast I ran, I could never reach them.  
  
After the first night I knew that at least one thing the housemother  
  
had said was right. I was spoiled in having had someone around me I  
  
trusted and loved. Grandma, Heero and Duo. All three of them loved and  
  
protected me from everything bad. And now, they were gone.  
  
But when I woke up after the second night to start my third day in this  
  
nightmare come true, Jessy, one of the other girls around my age  
  
stormed into the room I had to share with three other girls and  
  
stopped, out of breath, at my bed.  
  
"Jeanie you are so lucky!" she howled. "I heard the housemother talking  
  
on the phone with someone from the government. Someone wants to adopt  
  
*you*! They asked clearly for Jeanie Silver. It's such luck, I really  
  
envy you."  
  
My heart seemed to stop beating. Sure, I had never wished for anything  
  
more than to get out of this place but I couldn't go just now; not  
  
until the boys had visited me with Heero and Duo. I had to tell them  
  
first about me moving away from this horrible orphanage.  
  
And I was also wondering how the people knew my name. I always thought  
  
they would come and visit, look at the children and then decide which  
  
one to adopt. But maybe this orphanage had another way. Maybe it was  
  
with papers, listed with simple names, statistics and a picture. Or  
  
maybe it was the Norris'... Maybe they wanted to adopt me now at last.  
  
I didn't know and I couldn't think about this right now. All I knew was  
  
that I wanted to see Heero, Duo and the nice two boys before I had to  
  
go. I didn't want to leave the place where they knew I was at. How  
  
would they be able to find me again if I was adopted by unknown people?  
  
But first I had to find out if Jessy was right or if I just panicked  
  
for nothing. I ran to the disgusting housemother and asked her if it  
  
was true. She glanced at me with a sneer on her face before she  
  
declared:  
  
"Yeah, it's true, you are lucky. You can leave soon."  
  
I must have had a shocked expression on my face because she lifted an  
  
eyebrow in surprise. But then a grin came to her face, as she  
  
understood my fear.  
  
"Aaaaaaah," she nearly sang, "Your dirty little dog friends are  
  
intending to visit you from time to time aren't they? Well, let's hope  
  
then that these 'nice' boys will arrive before your new step-parents  
  
do. It would be such a pity if you never see your precious dogs again  
  
now wouldn't it?"  
  
She grinned to show how much she pitied me.  
  
"You'll have two hours. They are already signing the contract for your  
  
adoption and then they'll be on the way to pick you up."  
  
***  
  
"That's crazy! You are the first one I've ever met, who's not happy to  
  
leave this place," Jenny said when she found me in my hiding spot.  
  
Fifteen minutes ago a man from the government had arrived to take me to  
  
my new parents. They had to wait outside while he met with the  
  
housemother and was brought into the orphanage. As soon as I saw them  
  
arrive, I stormed out of my room to hide in the best place I could find  
  
in a hurry.  
  
I succeeded in hiding for about 15 minutes but everyone was looking for  
  
me, including the children. I couldn't blame Jenny for revealing my  
  
hiding spot. I knew that if I hadn't been found the punishment later  
  
would had been insufferable. Still I struggled and bit the man from the  
  
government who took me without a word and forced me through the rooms.  
  
The housemother just watched and smiled, pleased.  
  
"You should be lucky," she mocked. "You'll never guess who your new  
  
parents are. They're two of your so-called beloved former Gundam  
  
pilots. Trash to trash, how ironic."  
  
Any other time and under any other circumstances I would not have  
  
believed my luck after hearing her words. But not this time, not in  
  
that situation.  
  
"I don't care!" I screamed never fully noticing what she just said. "I  
  
am not going before I see Heero and Duo again! I can't leave my  
  
friends, I can't!"  
  
"Ooohh, I forgot about your precious dogs. Well you are not in the  
  
position to demand anything!" this terrible woman said in a sharp voice.  
  
"And you are not in the right position either!" a much sharper and  
  
colder voice suddenly sounded from the living-room door at my back. "To  
  
be responsible for children is not a job someone like you should do."  
  
This was confirmed by a loud bark and the children started to point  
  
behind me in excitement.  
  
"Look, look doggies!"  
  
"So big!"  
  
"They look so sweet!"  
  
"I want to touch them!"  
  
I couldn't believe my ears. Not for the bark and not for the voice I  
  
heard just seconds ago. Before I had a chance to take a look or let the  
  
events of what had just happened sink into my brain, the dogs cornered  
  
the man who held me and growled dangerously. The man simply swallowed  
  
nervously and carefully sat me down onto the ground just in front of  
  
the two dogs I knew better than anything else.  
  
They immediately stopped growling and started to lick my face and  
  
hands, tails waving eagerly.  
  
"Heero! Duo!" I sobbed and dove my hands into their soft fur. Then  
  
someone I knew as just well, knelt down beside me and put a supporting  
  
arm around me.  
  
"You OK?" the shorthaired boy asked in a concerned voice. I nodded and  
  
glanced to the other boy who stood in front of the housemother, hands  
  
balled into fists. His eyes burned with anger, but there was softness  
  
in his face as he watched the scene between my dogs, his friend and  
  
myself carefully. I smiled to him to show I was okay. He nodded in  
  
return, a light smile on his lips before he turned his full attention  
  
back to the housemother.  
  
I had only met these two boys twice until then but for me the long  
  
haired one was someone who should laugh and smile, not be grumpy or  
  
something negative like that. This was the first time I had seen him  
  
angry, and although it didn't fit to his character, he looked pretty  
  
dangerous right now. I nearly felt sorry for the housemother - well not  
  
*that* sorry.  
  
"You!" the boy growled. "This is NO WAY to treat children! You have  
  
absolutely no right to call yourself *housemother of an orphanage!*"  
  
"And you," she cried out, "have no right to come in here like this,  
  
Mr..., Mr..."  
  
"Maxwell," the man from the government said in a small voice after  
  
taking a quick look at the papers.  
  
"... Mr. Maxwell!" the woman spat out the name and with the look on her  
  
face most of the children stepped backwards in fear. Not so the boy. He  
  
simply showed her a dry smile.  
  
"Oh I think I can very well judge your abilities," he told her,  
  
dangerously calm. "*I* am an orphan myself and I used to live in an  
  
orphanage for quite a while before the Alliance destroyed the little  
  
happiness I had. This orphanage was led by the church. There was a  
  
sister and a father to look after us children and I can tell you sister  
  
Helen was the exact opposite from you. She was nice, friendly and made  
  
the kids happy. If I look around here, I can see no happiness in any  
  
way. All I see is fear, coldness and grey. No colors in the rooms, no  
  
playthings, no crayons, nothing a child could be happy with."  
  
The braided boy's eyes were very small by now. The woman just snorted  
  
in disgust.  
  
"Happiness! If you keep the little brats happy then they start to get  
  
on your nerves. They become spoilt before you can notice it and they  
  
won't listen to what you say anymore. And by the way I need the money.  
  
This certainly isn't my idea of a dream-job but it is a job after all  
  
and very well paid. I will stay strong, keep the little brats five or  
  
six years longer before I quit and live a good life."  
  
"You know nothing," the boy said, his eyes burning with anger. "There  
  
is a line between spoiling a kid and simply making it happy. A happy  
  
child would look up to you as the great person whom it has to thank for  
  
the wonderful life it can live. I can tell you, I was definitely not an  
  
easy child at all when I was little, but with her friendly behavior  
  
sister Helen got nothing but my faith and my respect. If she had have  
  
been like you, I would have already run away or started a nice, little  
  
rebellion against you. I can tell you that for sure." He paused a  
  
second to calm himself down and then added with well heard anger: "And  
  
someone who wants job just for the money and doesn't like children,  
  
should NEVER EVER look after children! It's the wrong job for you!"  
  
The housemother was quiet for a moment and looked very surprised. Then  
  
she started to laugh.  
  
"You are such a dumb boy," she chuckled. "Talking nonsense for nothing.  
  
As I said, you are not in the position to order me around and your  
  
words will never change anything of the way I handle the kids. I have  
  
had enough of you and these disgusting dogs. Take this brat, leave this  
  
place and never come back or I will make sure that you lose this girl  
  
and will never be able to adopt a child again."  
  
I stiffed, anger flamed in my eyes but I felt the calm hands of the  
  
shorthaired boy holding me back by my waist.  
  
"She is the dumb one," I heard him whisper, "She will regret her  
  
actions. Never anger Shinigami when it comes to family, his friends or  
  
children."  
  
And just as if to prove his words, the longhaired boy smirked evilly.  
  
"You underestimate us, you poor woman," he stated and knelt down to  
  
take one of the smallest children who was already in tears, in his  
  
comforting arms. "Don't worry anymore, everyone of you. Your *beloved*  
  
housemother won't stay any longer than one day. We have powerful  
  
friends in the government and when I tell them about your so-called  
  
housemother they will fire her immediately. We will find a new, nicer  
  
mother for you."  
  
The housemother laughed, although I could hear it was a little shaky.  
  
"You can't do this, you are just some dirty, little former pilots.  
  
Murderers who caused a war. No one will listen to you."  
  
The braided boy looked away from the children to face her again. The  
  
smile his lips formed was sweet but oh so dangerous at the same time.  
  
The glitter in his eyes could have melted ice in one second.  
  
"You know Relena Peacecraft?" he asked sweetly and calmly. She  
  
immediately paled and her lips opened a little in shock.  
  
"Well then you may be interested in the fact that we are best friends  
  
with her. She WILL listen to whatever we have to say and the rest of  
  
the government will listen to HER because she is one of the symbols of  
  
peace in this new era. Rest assured they will have fired you by  
  
tomorrow morning. And I will personally make sure that the next  
  
housemother in this orphanage will be a nice, kind woman, not a  
  
disgusting thing like you are."  
  
This was the last time he spoke to her. After he was done, he turned  
  
around to his friend and to me. A warm, true smile came to his face as  
  
he knelt down next to me. I just watched him, big eyes glowing with  
  
proudness at his courage.  
  
"Well Jeanie," he said. "Let's leave this place, shall we?"  
  
I nodded happily and then my eyes widened as I realized what was  
  
happening.  
  
"You... YOU two adopted me?" I cried out and pointed, changing from one  
  
to the other. The longhaired one laughed.  
  
"Yep, we did!" he said. "But I'll explain more when we are in the car.  
  
So do you want to see where you'll live from now on?"  
  
I squeezed the fur of my dogs in pure happiness. It felt like centuries  
  
had passed since I was this happy. I wanted to scream, dance and run  
  
around such was the happiness that filled my body. Instead I hugged the  
  
braided boy with all my might, then his friend. I still barely knew  
  
them but I did know that we would become great friends.  
  
Duo barked now and Heero waved his tail silently, their way of showing  
  
how contented they were with the ending of the events.  
  
Suddenly the short haired boy, whose arms still held me, got me by my  
  
waist and lifted me up. I smiled at him and he gave me a little smile  
  
back.  
  
"Let's go!" he simply said. His friend nodded. I called Heero and Duo  
  
to follow and waved a goodbye to the other children. Soon they would be  
  
as happy as I was feeling right now. I was sure of that. But then when  
  
we reached the front door, my carrier turned around and faced the man  
  
from the government.  
  
"Your name?" he asked coldly.  
  
"St... Steve Mitch," the man answered hesitantly. "Why... do you want  
  
t... to know that?"  
  
"Because you'll be hearing from the government." the braided boy  
  
answered while laying his hands lazily around his friends' waist. There  
  
was nothing more to be said and we left the orphanage - forever.  
  
***  
  
"So?" I asked and looked from one boy to the other. "How come you  
  
showed up here and requested me as your adopted child?"  
  
The boys looked at each other stunned. We had driven from the orphanage  
  
to the nearest fast food restaurant because I was dying of hunger. And  
  
now we all sat in the car and ate some wonderful tasting burgers. The  
  
nice boys, who would be my parents from now on, also gave me some pet  
  
food for my beloved dogs. And I decided that it was time to get answers  
  
to my questions.  
  
"You promised me! 'More in the car' you said, remember?"  
  
"Ah, very good memory." the braided boy chuckled before he became  
  
serious. "Well, this man called you by your full name, so it was easy  
  
for us to search for more information about you. That's how we learned  
  
about your parents and grandmother."  
  
At the mention of my grandmother I leaned closer to my two dogs. The  
  
longhaired boy said he was sorry for mentioning it, but I told him it  
  
was OK.  
  
"Well," he sighed and patted the heads of Heero and Duo, "Anyway your  
  
two friends obviously missed you very much and after we talked a while  
  
about this, we decided to take you with us. As it was said before,  
  
Relena Peacecraft is one of our best friends. It was no problem to get  
  
the green light for the adoption."  
  
I glanced, curiously from one boy to the other.  
  
"Are we...," I started, a little shy and unsure, "Are we a real family  
  
now? I mean... you're both male but Grandma told me that there are some  
  
couples that are both the same gender. Like Heero and Duo, they are  
  
married!"  
  
Surprisingly the longhaired boy snorted into his drink and started to  
  
laugh. His friend chuckled. This was very confusing.  
  
"Yeah... hope you don't mind... your new family being gay." the  
  
longhaired boy choked out between his snickers.  
  
"I don't mind because my dogs are the same, but why is this so funny?"  
  
I asked pouting. "I know dogs can't marry like humans but still in  
  
Grandma's and my eyes Heero and Duo *are* married, they love each  
  
other!"  
  
This caused him to laugh even more. He laughed so hard, that he got  
  
tears in his eyes and had to hold his stomach, and the short haired boy  
  
had a hard time trying not to laugh with him.  
  
"It's just...," the longhaired choked out between his efforts to stop  
  
laughing. "... it's not your dogs, it's just the..." he glanced to his  
  
friend and to my surprise became red in the face while he started to go  
  
on explaining, "The names! Heero and Duo and that they are married...  
  
god Heero and Duo this is so..."  
  
The shorthaired boy became red too and glared half-heartedly at his  
  
friend.  
  
"That's enough," he ordered with a calm voice and suddenly what was  
  
said in the orphanage came back to my mind.  
  
~You'll never guess who your new parents will be. They are two of your  
  
much-loved former Gundam pilots.~  
  
I grasped my hands over my mouth to choke back the surprised cry that  
  
wanted to come out. Then another memory hit me. The time when I was  
  
little, they showed this one pilot they had caught. I didn't remember  
  
very well because I was little, but somehow I remembered long, chestnut-  
  
brown hair.  
  
"Oh my god," I whispered, "you... you're Gundam pilots, aren't you? You  
  
know... wait, this one they caught back then was named... named... had  
  
long hair, long brown hair and his name..."  
  
I pointed at the boy with the long chestnut-brown hair and cried out.  
  
"Maxwell! His full name was Duo Maxwell! You are... you are..."  
  
The boy, who I just recognized as Duo, grinned wide at me.  
  
"You know after this one..." he said in a soft, still amused voice and  
  
pointed at the short haired, "... saw how wild your Duo was acting, he  
  
didn't ask you for nothing if he is the one you named 'Duo'."  
  
"Yeah because you're both little baka's and never easy to watch," his  
  
friend said in a light chuckling tone.  
  
"The same to you, *my friend*." Duo teased back. "I was sooooooooooo  
  
sure that this quiet one with the little 'doggy glare' could only be  
  
the one named 'Heero'. His behavior is so perfectly suited to your own,  
  
sweetie."  
  
"Duo!" he shouted and tackled the longhaired boy at his side. "If you  
  
don't stop you'll regret it when we get home."  
  
"Huh, huh," you don't want to scare our new little family member to  
  
death on her first night do you?"  
  
His lover shook his head in mild disbelief and I decided to end this  
  
discussion.  
  
"So, you are really Heero? Heero Yuy, THE Heero Yuy of Wing Zero?"  
  
"Oh you are pretty well informed about our Gundam's names." Duo said a  
  
little surprised but impressed. I nodded and crawled over to hug them  
  
both fiercely.  
  
"Look, look!" I shouted at my best friends. Duo and Heero, who had  
  
cuddled on the back seat together with me. They looked up sleepily.  
  
"These are the boys who's names I gave you! These are Gundam pilots! I  
  
always knew they were nice and not mean murderers like the stupid  
  
people said. And now you can see I am right, I knew it, I knew it! And  
  
they are my parents now, isn't that great?"  
  
Heero yawned and glanced up before he put his head back on his front  
  
paws in a 'let it be' attitude. Duo looked a little stunned but then  
  
started to give some short, enthusiastic barks until Heero stopped him  
  
with a light growl and they went back to their silent cuddling.  
  
We looked at each other. Heero Yuy smiled and Duo chuckled. I think my  
  
grin must have been as wide as the distance to the moon.  
  
"So, do you know anything more about us?" Duo finally asked. I shook my  
  
head.  
  
"Only that your last Gundam was called Deathscythe Custom. I am still a  
  
little young and it has been a while since the war so I don't remember  
  
much. It's also only by accident that I remembered you having long  
  
hair."  
  
I smiled at the longhaired boy and he smiled back lovingly.  
  
"Although you don't remember much," he started in a soft voice, "and  
  
you didn't know us personally. Although your parents died because of  
  
the war, you are the first civil person who said such nice things about  
  
us. You didn't judge us because we were so called assassins who fought  
  
for their colonies. And that's why we are happy that you and your two  
  
precious friends are with us now."  
  
Heero nodded and brushed my cheek softly.  
  
"You are a good girl who stands up for her friends and for what you  
  
believe is right." he added. "Duo and I would be really happy if you  
  
allow us to keep an eye on you till you are old enough to live by  
  
yourself. We would be happy if you would call our home your home as  
  
well."  
  
I felt tears burning in my eyes. My heart wanted to burst and I threw  
  
myself against Heero's chest to cry. He held me gently, while Duo  
  
stroked my hair in a soothing way.  
  
After I had calmed down a little, I looked up at the boys again.  
  
"But how," I choked. "What will we do with my dogs? I mean, won't it be  
  
confusing if we have two 'Heero's and 'Duo's?"  
  
Duo started to chuckle again and my dogs lifted their heads in  
  
curiosity, hearing their names.  
  
"I've already thought about this." the longhaired former pilot told  
  
me. "I don't think it will be too much of a problem having twice the  
  
same name at home. For emergencies we can call your dogs Heero and Duo  
  
II. What do you say?"  
  
I looked at the Heero and Duo in question.  
  
"That would be okay with us wouldn't it?" I asked my beloved friends.  
  
Duo barked and Heero made a noise that sounded like a light bark.  
  
"We agree!" I told the boys. Duo grinned and Heero smiled.  
  
"Well if we are all done now," the former Wing pilot started. "I would  
  
suggest that we go home."  
  
I looked at Duo and Duo looked at me, nodding. I looked at Heero II and  
  
Duo II. They both showed me one of their precious dog smiles. Then I  
  
nodded for myself.  
  
"Yes," I agreed. "Let's go home!"  
  
Owari  
  
*UsagiLOVESDuo-chan /'^^'\ 


End file.
